


I Hope You Have a Speech Prepared (Fictober Submission)

by PerpetualSpinster



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 19:45:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16839181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerpetualSpinster/pseuds/PerpetualSpinster
Summary: Shuri celebrates with a friend at a party that goes south.





	I Hope You Have a Speech Prepared (Fictober Submission)

Shuri pushed her way through the crowd to look for her friend. 

“Abiona! Abi! Where are you?” Shuri yelled over the live music in the streets. Abiona is a friend from Shuri’s childhood and tonight was her graduation from secondary education. Shuri had finished her courses by 10 years of age, but she still hung out with people her age, and got to know Abiona during her freetime. Abiona was a wildcard though, which was fun when the occasion called for it, but they were supposed to keep each other company at the party for safety.

The party was for the young people of the graduating class, held by a group of parents who volunteered to throw it, but supervision was scarce. Shuri pushed people out of her way until she could see Abiona from a distance.

Shuri raised her arms, waving them over people’s head, but Abiona didn’t see her. She wasn’t even looking in Shuri’s direction.

“Ayye. hands in the air, and wave them without care!” A partygoer drunkenly cheers Shuri before passing out at her feet. Shuri looked up to the sky in disgust; drinking was legal at 18 years of age, but this party was supposed to be a dry one. So much for that.

Shuri walks over the passed out patron and makes her way to Abiona, who is leaning against a wall and being chatted up with a guy. She pulls up her kimoyo beads and calls up Okoye.

“Princess Shuri, what are you doing out at this ungodly hour??” Okoye asks.

“I know, I know. Trust me, at this point it is not at my own election.” 

“Are you alright? Do you need help? Okoye asks concerned.

“Okoye, I need you to remain calm, first. But yes, I would like to call you and less than a handful of Dora to come help break this party up. They have started to drink and we all know the effects of alcohol on the brain, so add adolescence to that and it’s a ticking time bomb.”

Okoye nods. “On it. You stay put until we get there.” 

Shuri and Okoye hang up as she reaches Abiona, who looks half conscious as a guy talks to her closely.

“Abiona! Have you been drinking, what is going on with you?” Shuri holds Abiona’s face, checking her pupils.

Abiona bats her away. “I am fine! I am having fun for once, ohhh Princess! Leave us alone!”

Shuri looks to the guy with daggers in her eyes. “Did you slip her something?”

The guy shrugs. “Honestly, I just took from what was in the punch bowls inside. I can say with certainty it is spiked though.” The guy giggles as he sips from his cup.

Shuri drops her hands dramatically at her sides. “Great, you all are the American stereotype of young adults. This is what Okoye was warning me about…” Shuri takes Abiona’s arm around her shoulders. “Come on, it is time to go.”

The guy grabs Abiona’s free arm. “We were talking, Princess.” The way he said princess made Shuri shiver, like someone walked over her own grave.

“She has things to do in the morning, she has to go now. We came together, and we are leaving.” Shuri insisted, trying to walk away, pressing her kimoyos.

“She doesn’t want to go with you. She doesn’t even like you, told me herself. Now leave her here so we-”

Just then the music playing stops abruptly as the sound of yips fill the air as the Dora Milaje dash in on the party, Okoye leading the pack. This causes the partygoers to scatter, tripping over themselves and each other to get out of the way of their wrath. Shuri walked as fast as she could with Abiona, making a call on her kimoyo beads again.

“Aye, Princess, wassup?” Erik asks in a haze.

“Erik, I need your assistance. My friend and I were at this party and it got a little out of hand. Can you come by to get us?”

“For real? I thought that wasn’t your scene. You can’t get the Dora to get you?” Erik says curiously.

“I’d rather not. They would report to T’Challa about it and I am trying to save face while he is still in the dark about this.”

“Aww, you trust your cousin with your rebellion? Bet, I’ll be there in a sec.” Erik hags up excitedly.

Shuri adjust Abiona, who is drifting off as she waits for Erik to come through. Okoye locates Shuri, going up to her.

“Princess, you cannot stay here. I’ll have Ayo take you home while I round up the rest of these imbeciles. Ugh, the future of Wakanda.” Okoye hisses, peering around the room in disgust.

“No no. Erik is getting me, but there is one person I want to make sure you got. Did you get the profile I sent you?”

Okoye affirms. “I did. The boy harassing you both tonight, he has been apprehended. Good on you to alert us. I’m so glad you graduated before your generation did. Your maturity was needed in a situation like this.”

A beep interrupts them, as Shuri looks up to see Erik in his hover car.

“The hell kind of party is this?? Y’all throwing a rave more like it. Okoye, my bald beauty, my girl!” Erik says cheerfully, pointing her way.

Okoye rolls her eyes. “He thinks pet names are a way to get on my good side. I AM GENERAL TO YOU!”

Shuri heads to Erik, who helps seat her friend in the back of the car. “Thanks again Okoye. Please keep me being here quiet as much as possible until I get home!”

Okoye salutes her as Erik drives them off to drop Abiona off.

“So what happened to her?” Erik asks.

“She drank too much, got mixed up with the wrong people, stranded me.” Shuri says, looking back to check on her.

“That ain’t good friend shit to do. You didn’t drink though, right?” Erik asks.

“Right. I have no reason to start and it makes you so foolish as a result. I just worry about her though. I don’t know if it was the alcohol talking or if he was being mean, but someone said Abiona may not like me actually.”

Erik scoffs. “Shiiit, I’m not surprised if so. You are from royalty, smart, run the latest tech. Who wouldn’t wanna be friends with you, liking you or not?”

Shuri looks at Erik sadly. “So you think that’s the truth?”

Erik shrugs. “Listen, I can’t say yea or nay, but you gotta be careful. People gonna judge you for what you have and what you do. They gonna want a piece however they can pull it, but I know you smart enough to resist. You just remember you did the right thing tonight, everything. Turn your Ls into lessons. Ask her later when she sober up, but guard your heart cousin.”

Shuri appreciated the advice as they pull up to Abiona’s house to drop her off safe and sound. Once they got to the royal palace, Shuri thanked Erik again before sneaking through a side entrance to avoid Queen Mother, T’Challa, of any others who may rat her out. 

She makes it as far as the kitchen, before the lights are turned on, blinding her momentarily.

“You better have a speech prepared.” T’Challa says, looking paternal at Shuri.

Shuri sighs. “I haven’t got time for it. I will talk to you in the morning.”

T’Challa raises his hand to stop her. “Mother was up wondering where you had gone. You should’ve been home two hours ago, and you blocked your kimoyo beads from her calls.”

“I did not want to be bothered! I have a life to live, and it seems that when I am not inventing for Wakanda, I am treated as a child.”

T’Challa scoffs. “Maybe if you began to act like anything other than, I could trust you but you are still young and impressionable!”

Shuri points at T’Challa threateningly. “I am 18 years old, dear brother! Don’t you dare throw my age in my face like it is a marker of my competence. You should know better than that, your argument is beyond weak.”

T’Challa waves her off. “I am done trying to tell you how to live. It is not worth it, the fact that the Dora had to come after you for nothing but foolishness is evidence enough.”

“I called THEM! Okoye was the first one I called because my friend was nearly passed out with an unknown male who could have taken advantage of her! And then Erik brought me home, so rest assured you had nothing to do with my welfare tonight!”

T’Challa stood there in awe. “You called Erik before me?”

Shuri laughed ironically. “Don’t seem so surprised. Maybe if you acted like anything other than a closed minded authoritarian, you would be my emergency contact. But ever since you became King and opened the borders your attitude is, for lack of better words, shitty. I get that it is stressful and a lot has happened, but you do not let your emotions rule your problem solving ability, especially if it is aggressive by default.”

T’Challa blinked a few times, appearing to come back into the room from a far away place. “I am so sorry, Shuri. Are you alright-”

“I am fine! I just know that this is why I am glad I graduated early. Young people can be such idiots when given freedom. I have had freedom much longer, and am able to behave. I don’t intend to bring myself to those kinds of functions anymore and continue scouting my own place to get from under your thumb. I’ll call Mother now for another lashing.” Shuri rolls her eyes as she drags her feet to her room.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just tell her you were home, fell asleep and forgot to reset your kimoyos.” T’Challa offers, smiling weakly to appease.

Shuri shrugs. “Fine, sounds good to me. You should talk to Erik a little more. He gave me some sound advice, so I think…I think he is better now.”

T’Challa nodded. “Ok, I’ll consider it, at least to thank him. Shuri, I did not mean to offend you, I just want to make sure you are alright. Things can change so quickly, but I don’t want you to think that I think you can’t handle yourself.”

Shuri takes a deep breath now that the situation has calmed. “Understood. But raise your voice at me again, I will install an emergency eject button on your suit. Think about that when you are scaling buildings and jumping into the air, eh?


End file.
